NAACP NEWS

NAACP Condemns Video Captured by DeForest Village Police Chief

DEFOREST-- The DeForest Village Board will file a complaint with the Police Commission regarding Chief Daniel Furseth.The board voted 4-2 late Tuesday after a regularly-scheduled meeting where they heard concerns from some members of the community.The village board decided to file a complaint with the DeForest Police Commission after hearing from three people who asked members to send a message of inclusion and respect to minorities.One of those who spoke was Greg Jones, the President of Dane County's chapter of the NAACP. He is also the co-chair for the "Law Enforcement and Leaders of Color Collaboration." During the meeting, Jones addressed the board, saying "The actions that the chief demonstrated do not demonstrate who and what this community is. The only responsible measure to that damage is termination of his employment with this municipality."Jones, along with the Dane County Chiefs of Police Association, denounced Furseth's actions earlier in the day. The police chiefs association issued a press release it said was in response to the Furseth situation on Tuesday.Jones told 27 News in an interview, "When you think about a police chief, you think about a person who is a face of the criminal justice system at that level in that municipality. And for that person to feel comfortable enough to engage in that kind of behavior, use those words, and really do a caricature of African American men, it's highly disappointing.""That behavior is certainly disturbing and disappointing and certainly appalling to a lot of members and that's why the NAACP will be at the meeting this evening to share our expectations of a chief in Dane County." (Reported by: WKOW-TV)

NAACP Dane County Responds to...

...the Alec Cook Sentence

Is the “justice” we have witnessed, truly equal justice? Members of the NAACP Dane County don’t believe it to be. At the June 2018 general meeting, members expressed outrage over the sentence received by former UW-Madison Student, Alec Cook by Judge Stephen Ehlke. Cook had been charged with 23 criminal counts involving 11 women, about half of which involved varying degrees of sexual assault. The prosecutors in the case sought the maximum allowable sentence of 19½ years in prison followed by 20 years of extended probation. Cook pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree sexual assault, and one count each of strangulation and stalking. Instead, Judge Ehlke issued a sentence of just three years in prison followed by 8 years of probation.

For these reasons, NAACP Dane County joins with others in decrying Judge Ehlke’s decision and calling for: 1. An appellate review of the case.2. An immediate examination of Judge Ehlke’s sentencing record by race and sentencing data; and for all other criminal judges broken down by race. 3. A meeting with Dane County criminal judges to discuss this and other community concerns. Judges have broad discretion in the number of years of prison a defendant receives, and it is critical that more sunshine be shone on how the discretion is exercised.Madison, WI (July 12, 2018)

After thorough research and evaluation the NAACP opposed Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2005, and we oppose his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court now. Although we are still in the process of closely updating and scrutinizing his record, even the most cursory of reviews demonstrates that Judge Brett Kavanaugh does not empathize with the very real needs of most working middle-class Americans or with the unique concerns of racial and ethnic minority Americans.

This nomination is too important to rush. This nomination should only be considered by the Senate elected by the American people in November, 2018, when they are fully aware of the stakes and after the 116th Congress is sworn in.

For more information on this legislation and how you can advocate for it, click the button below.

The NAACP has activated a 21st century Civic Engagement strategy ahead of the November mid-terms, vowing to: DEFEAT HATE. VOTE!We cannot agonize, we must organize!

“We owe it to ourselves and our children to elect officials who champion our values and uphold the dignity of our democracy.” –Willie L. Brown, Jr., the first black speaker of the California Assembly, former San Francisco mayor and the 2018 NAACP Spingarn Medal recipient.

DEFEAT HATE. VOTE!

2018 ACT-SO NATIONAL COMPETITIONDane County NAACP Team

Although Team Dane County didn't "strike gold" at the National NAACP ACT-SO Competition in San Antonio, they represented themselves, and our Branch well! We are very proud of them!